Rep. David Valadao wins reelection in endangered Central Valley congressional seat
TIJUANA – Rep. David Valadao received an official rebuke from the state secretary of a Mexican state Monday, after he was convicted on federal charges of voter fraud.
Valadao, a Republican, was convicted in 2015 on five felony charges related to stealing votes from his district, which includes more than a third of the nation’s grape workers.
The state’s chief election investigator said Valadao “intentionally violated” election law by registering voters in his district despite having less than 50 percent of the vote there.
Valadao could not be reached for comment by phone because of his election campaign. He did not immediately respond to a letter that included the accusation, which was published in the Mexican state newspaper Reforma.
Instead, he issued a written statement in which he blamed “corruption,” saying that he was convicted because of “the machinations of a group of political thugs.”
The statement did not mention the official reprimand of Valadao’s office and said that all voters should be able to cast their ballots safely and with the assurance of fair voting.
Valadao and his wife, Laura, were indicted on three felony counts of voter fraud related to their 2006 election for a seat in the Legislature. The indictment alleged that they registered nearly 4,000 people without their consent.
Laura Valadao pleaded guilty to voter fraud and was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail. In 2014, she was sentenced to five years of probation.
The case took years before a judge sentenced Valadao to three years of probation, with a stay of imposition of sentence for three years. In September 2014, Valadao was ordered to not hold political office and to have no contact with the Valadao family or the federal government regarding any federal charges.
U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik reduced the terms to three years of probation and gave a $10,000 fine, and said Valadao must pay $7,500 in costs.
Lasnik added conditions that included not participating in any political activity or campaign, and a requirement to obtain a passport with his local address as his primary area of residence.
A spokeswoman for the secretary of state said Monday that Valadao will not be allowed